Can opener



March 21, 1961 E. s. LAND 2,975,515

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 21, 1959 INVENTOR. [/I/f/Y 5. Land United rates i atent O CAN OPENER Elvin s. Land, 1015 N. am St., Fort Smith, Ark. Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,760

2 Claims. or. 50-15 leaving areas which are not separated from the peripheral side: wall of the container as has occurred with prior devices of this character.

A particularly important object in this respect is to provide a can opener of the manually operated type having a support member mounting rotatable rim-engaging friction means, as well as a swingable cutter blade wherein the guide heretofore provided in front of the cutter blade, and which engages the rim of a can, has been eliminated entirely with only the rear fulcrum element being employed to thereby permit the cutting edge of the cutter blade to follow the rim of the can regardless of the configuration thereof.

' Another significant object of the instant invention is to provide a can opener as described, wherein the swingable cutter blade having a cutting edge disposed to pierce and then subsequently sever the lid of the can, is mounted on the main support member of the device in a manner so that the cutter blade adjusts to a uniform cutting depth irrespective of the size of the rim of the can.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a manually operated can opener having a cutter blade designedto roll the inside peripheral edge of the can downwardly against the inner surface of the side wall of the same upon severing of the lid from the side portion to prevent a jagged or sharp edge being left on the can during the lid removal operation. s An additional important object of the invention is to provide a hand-actuated can opener which is much more etficient than prior openers. of this general type, and yet ,may be manufactured and distributed at a relatively low .cost and without frequent replacement thereof being required.

Other important objects and details of construction of the instant can opener will become obvious or be explained in greater detail as the following specification progresses. M i

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewv of a can opener embodying the preferred principles of the instant invention and viewing the same from the side having a butterflyshaped operating handle thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, front elevational view of the 2,975,515 Patented Mar. 21,

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can opener shown in-Fig. 1 with the same being illustrated in place on a can which is shown fragmentarily.

Pig. 3 is a side elevational view of the opposite side of the opener as shown in Fig. 1, and also illustrating the ,position of the opener prior to initial piercing of the lid of the can with the cutter blade; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view similar to that of Fig. 3 with the cutter blade being illustrated in the lower position thereof and with the opener being removed from the can.

A manually operable can opener is broadly designated by the numeral 10 in the drawing and is illustrated in its preferred form. The basic components of can opener 10 include a support member 12 carrying can rim-engaging friction means 14 having handle structure 16 operably coupled thereto, and a cutter blade 18 pivotally mounted on support structure 12.

As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, support structure 12 comprises a main body plate portion .20 which is generally square in configuration and provided with a lowermost, laterally extending wall section 22 integral with the lower margin of main body portion 20 extending the full length thereof and adapted to engage the outer surface 24 of the side wall 26 of a metal can broadly designated 28. Wall section 22 is of sufl'icient transverse width as to maintain friction means 14 .out of engagement with surface 24 of side wall 26 when can opener 10 is operably mounted on the upper margin 30 of can 28.

Main body portion 20 is also provided with an elongated, integral, laterally-extending fulcrum element 32 which is of relatively narrow transverse width as indicated in Fig. l and is adapted to overlie margin 30 of can 28 in sliding engagement therewith.

Friction means 14 preferably comprises a wheel 34 having an outer serrated edge 36 adapted to frictionally engage the lower segment of rim 38 of can 28. Butterfly-shaped operating handle 40 has a polygonal extension 42 thereon which projects through a washer 44 disposed between handle 40 and the outer face of main body portion 20, as well as through a circular disc (not shown) rotatably received within a. complemental opening therefor in body portion 20, and finally, through wheel 34 with the outer extremity of extension 42 being bradded to securely interconnect handle 40 and wheel 34. It should be noted that the axis of rotation of wheel 34, as well as handle 40, .is to the right of fulcrum element 32, viewing Fig. 4, and spaced below the latter a sutficient distance to compensate for the normal width of the rim 38 of a can 28.

Support member 20 also includes an upright planar section 46 integral with main body portion 29 throughout the angularly disposed segment 48 which maintains section 46 in offset relationship to main body portion 20, it being noted that the transverse width across section 46 is substantially equal to the width of main body portion 20 less fulcrum element 32. In this manner, it can be seen that body portion 20 may beformed of a single blank of sheet metal, die cut and stamped into suitable configuration. It is preferred to provide a laterally extending, relatively narrow finger 5t} integral with the uppermost edge of planar section 46 in proximity to element 32 for reasons to be hereinafter specified.

Planar member 46 serves as means for pivotally mounting one end 52 of cutter blade 54, as best shown in Figs.

'3 and 4. Downwardly extending projection 56 integral with the normally lowermost margin'58 of blade 54, has an angularly disposed, lowermost edge 60 which operates as the cutting means for piercing transversely extending end wall or lid 62 of can 28. Note that the greatest transverse length of projection 56 is in proximity to fulcrum element 32, while the transverse margin 64 at end 52 of blade 54, is disposed to engage fulcrum element 32 when blade 54 has been rotated to a predetermined position as illustrated in Fig. 4 and which is preferably with the longitudinal length thereof in substantialparallelism with the major fiat surfaces of fulcrum element 32.

Means for pivotally mounting blade '54 on planar section 46 preferably comprises pivot means 66in the nature of a rivet or the like.

In utilization of opener 10, blade unit 18 is swung to a position substantially as shown -in Fig. 3 with the upper margin thereof engaging laterally extending finger 50. .Next, support member 12 is placed against the side of the can 28 with fulcrum element 32 overlying and slidably engaging the upper peripheral margin 30 of rim portion 38 of can 23, and with wall section 22 contacting the outer face of side wall 26. 'In this position of opener 10, the outer extremity of edge 60 of projection 56 on blade 54, is in engagement with lid 62 of can 28 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The serrated edge 36 of wheel 34 engages the underface of rim 38 of can 28 when edge 60 of projection 56 on blade 54 contacts lid 62 of can 28, whereby upon rotation of handle 40 in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3, blade 54 is swung downwardly in a manner to pierce lid 62 in close proximity to rim 38 of side wall 26.

After handle 40 has been rotated a sufficient extent to cause the lower margin 58 of blade 54 to engage rim 38, as illustrated in Fig. 4, it can be seen that the forward margin 64 thereof engages fulcrum element 32 and opener 16 is clamped on can 28 so that it is not necessary to hold such opener in position. Continued rotation of handle 40 causes opener to move around the periphery of can 28, with angularly disposed edge 60 of projection 56 severing lid 62 adjacent side wall 26 as opener 16 moves circumferentially of rim 38. It is to be noted that only a very slight pressure with the thumb of the left hand on blade unit 18 is required during initial startingof opener 10, in order to cause projection 56 to pierce lid 62 as described above. After lid 62 is pierced, blade unit 18 may be released and the same will automatically adjust to the top rim 38 of can '23, thereby leaving the left hand free to hold and turn the can as the same is opened during rotation of handle '44 Opener 10 may be readily removed from can 28 after complete severing of lid 62 by simply reversing the direction of rotation of handle 40, thereby causing blade unit 18 to pivot about the axis of rivet 66 and returning blade 54 to the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 3. It can also be recognized that release of opener 10 from can 23 may be effected by grasping blade 54 and pivoting the latter upwardly until the uppermost margin of the same contacts finger 50 to thereby permit projection 56 to clear rim 38 of can 28.

A particularly advantageous feature of opener 10 is the elimination ofa laterally extending guide similar to fulcrum element 32, on the side of projection 56 opposed Elimination of such front guide prevents to element 32.. rubbing or drag on the rim of the can as has been the case with prior openers of this type..

Another feature is the construction of projection .56 and blade 54 of a single sheet of metal stamped into proper configuration and preferably formed of high carbon steel inorderto increase the longevity andruggedness of the entire unit.

.It should further be noted that, because of the elimination of a front guide disposed to engage the rim of the can, wheel 34 properly engages the lower part of the rim 38 of a can 28, regardless of the width of rim 38 and without the necessity of providing a slidable pivot shaft for wheel 34. Likewise, projection 56 of blade 54 adjusts itself to a uniform cutting depth with cans having rims 38 of different widths.

Thus, the automatic adjustment features of opener 10, in connection with elimination of the front guide, permits opener 10 to be employed to open various types of cans including cylindrical types, as well as those of square and oval configuration.

The disposition and construction of blade 54 also rolls down the severed portion of lid 26 connected to rim 38, and eliminating the sharp edges normally found upon opening of a can with hand-operated openers.

The elimination of the necessity of providing a front guide on opener it) parallel with fulcrum element 32, and spaced therefrom, also increases the efficiency of opener it by lowering the friction of moving parts with rim 38 and thereby decreasing the amount of effort re quired to move opener 10 around the periphery of can 28.

Elongated blade 54 may be provided with an arcuate notch 68 in the end thereof remote from projection 56 to present a bottle cap remover, thereby increasing the utility of opener 10 for removing the closures of various types of containers.

Although the preferred embodiment of opener'1'0 has been illustrated and described, it can be appreciated that various modifications in the exact construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is, therefore, intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as 7 new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an opener for removing an end wall from a metal can, a support. member including an upright, substantially fiat, main body portion, an upwardly extending planar section integral with the normally upper extremity of said main body portion and lying in a plane parallel with a plane through said main body portion in offset relationship with one face of the latter, and a fulcrum element integral with said main body portion at said upper extremity thereof adjacent said planar section and extending laterally from said one face of said main body portion, said member being adapted to be positioned .against the side of the can adjacent the rim defining the margin thereof in proximity to said end wall and with said fulcrum element overlying and slidably engaging .said margin of the can, said support member being further provided with a wall section integral with said main body portion at the normally lower extremity thereof and extending laterally from said one face of the latter to engage the side of the can during the removal of said end wall therefrom; a wheel vrotatably mounted on said one face of said main body portion and provided with a serrated peripheral edge engageable with said rim of the member around the periphery of the can, said blade unit being swingable from a first position with the cutting edge thereof spaced from said end wall to'a second position with the cutting edge engaging said end wall and the longitudinal axis of said blade unit substantially horizontally disposed, one end of said blade unit being in substantial engagement with said fulcrum element when said blade unit is swung to said second position, to thereby limit the movement of said cutting edge toward and ,thus through the end wall of the can; and a finger integral with said planar section proximal to the normally uppermost edge of the-latter and extendinglaterally therefrom in the direction away from said one face, said blade unit being swingable into engagement with said finger for limiting the movement of said blade unit when the same is moved away from the end wall of said can and toward said first position.

2. In an opener as set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade unit is provided with a pair of opposed longituddinal edges, said cutting edge being integral with one of said longitudinal edges, the other of said longitudinal edges being in engagement with said finger when said blade unit is in said first position, said one longitudinal edge being in substantial engagement with the uppermost edge of said rim when said blade unit is in said second position to guide said cutting edge as said support member is advanced in said one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,617,142 Asbury .d Feb. 8, 1927 1,617,148 Chase Feb. 8, 1927 2,061,208 Polak NOV. 17, 1936 10 2,889,620 La Forte June 9, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,794 Sweden May 13, 1947 

